Meredith Skitt: Making It Count

Ames, Iowa- Versatile, consistent, and passionate are all words that can be used to describe Meredith Skitt.

The senior from St. Louis, Mo. splits her playing time between defender and midfielder and that versatility is what sets her apart from the rest of the field.

"Meredith is an incredible player," head coach Wendy Dillinger said. "She's not only a great defender for us but she's a great attacker. We look to find her on the flank and have her get involved in the attack."

In her career, Skitt has accounted for three goals and five assists, with two of those goals being game winners against New Mexico in 2012 and Washington in 2011. The game against Washington was the Cyclones last victory over a ranked opponent. Skitt scored in the 59th minute to give the Cyclones a 1-0 edge over the 23rd-ranked Huskies.

In addition to her versatility, Skitt's ability to be a consistent player has led to her becoming a permanent fixture in the starting lineup, with 37 consecutive starts for the Cyclones. Skitt also is second on the team in minutes played this season with 629.

"Ever since I can remember, I've loved the game," Skitt said. "I just see the game pretty well and I'm able to communicate that to the other people on the team."

Skitt's passion and her ability to communicate on the field have developed her into a team leader that, according to Coach Dillinger, cannot be duplicated.

"She brings passion and leadership every single day in training and in the games," Dillinger said. "She's going to be one that's irreplaceable next year."

"I love coming out and playing with these girls every day," Skitt said. "Everybody on this team has a ton of heart, so it's a lot of fun when you have a big group of girls that love it and you can see it on the field."

The Cyclones will look to Skitt for leadership as they start to wrap up nonconference play and enter a tough Big 12 schedule.